Dynamic armor for tanks and battle vehicles using electromagnetically reinforced compressed ferromagnetic powder

ABSTRACT

The invention is the first modification of the Patent Application with number 1009231 and involves an additional system of three levels which reinforces and improves the dynamic armor of main battle tanks using compressed ferromagnetic powder and electromagnetically reinforced. The main characteristics of the first invention (DE-1009231) for the armor system of tanks and battle vehicles was the use of compressed powder from magnetized or non-magnetized ferromagnetic pulverized materials (Fe, Ni, Co) or other similar synthetic materials that enrich or enhance the desired mechanical properties and the effect of electromagnetic amplification between two solid passive armor plates. The first level (FIG. 1, 2) concerns the placement of high temperature silicone or other material of the same mechanical properties at a suitable thickness proportional to the threat, between the outer passive solid shielding plate and the compressed ferromagnetic powder. The second level (FIG. 1, 3) concerns the modification of the layer containing the ferromagnetic powder by the distribution of the ferromagnetic powder contained in pellets or cubes or rectangular parallelepipeds or other basic geometric volumes from polymeric material with viscous elasticity or other kinds of material with same mechanical properties of thin walls or alternatively its placement in a spatial network with cubic or conical or spherical partition volumes with thin walls made of polymeric material with viscoelasticity or other material with the same mechanical properties and then compress them between the plates of solid passive armor. The third level of reinforcement (FIGS. 1, 4) was achieved by placing a layer of explosive material on the visible side facing to the ferromagnetic powder of the inner passive solid shielding plate in combination with percussion, perforation and temperature sensors. The layer of the explosive may be in a single layer or be contained as based on the inside surface of each individual area of the spatial network or similarly to separate cubes or rectangular parallelepipeds.

The invention is the first modification of the Patent Application withnumber 1009231 and involves an additional system of three levels whichreinforces and improves the dynamic armor of main battle tanks usingcompressed ferromagnetic powder and electromagnetically reinforced. Themain characteristics of the first invention (DE-1009231) for the armorsystem of tanks and battle vehicles was the use of compressed powderfrom magnetized or non-magnetized ferromagnetic pulverized materials(Fe, Ni, Co) or other similar synthetic materials that enrich or enhancethe desired mechanical properties and the effect of electromagneticamplification between two solid passive armor plates.

The first level (FIG. 1, 2 ) concerns the placement of high temperaturesilicone or other material of the same mechanical properties at asuitable thickness proportional to the threat, between the outer passivesolid shielding plate and the compressed ferromagnetic powder.

The second level (FIG. 1, 3 ) concerns the modification of the layercontaining the ferromagnetic powder by the distribution of theferromagnetic powder contained in pellets or cubes or rectangularparallelepipeds or other basic geometric volumes from polymeric materialwith viscous elasticity or other kinds of material with same mechanicalproperties of thin walls or alternatively its placement in a spatialnetwork with cubic or conical or spherical partition volumes with thinwalls made of polymeric material with viscoelasticity or other materialwith the same mechanical properties and then compress them between theplates of solid passive armor.

The third level of reinforcement (FIGS. 1, 4 ) was achieved by placing alayer of explosive material on the visible side facing to theferromagnetic powder of the inner passive solid shielding plate incombination with percussion, perforation and temperature sensors. Thelayer of the explosive may be in a single layer or be contained as basedon the inside surface of each individual area of the spatial network orsimilarly to separate cubes or rectangular parallelepipeds.

The modern armors of tanks and battle vehicles include the use of highlycomplex materials from metals and composite alloys, in order to preventtheir perforation by anti-tank projectiles, which are made of extremelyhigh hardness and special weight materials, such as depleted uranium andtungsten. In addition, the active shielding systems are used, whichconsists of explosive plates placed on the outside of the passiveshield, in order to destabilize the trajectory of the anti-tankprojectile. The latest improvements of anti-tank missiles, as evidenceby the experience on the battlefield, prove that the tank armor is nolonger adequate. The dynamic tank armor based on compressedferromagnetic powder and electromagnetic amplification improves the tankarmor but can significantly increase its durability by using additionallevels of protection.

The present invention aims to increase the efficiency of dynamicshielding by using compressed ferromagnetic powder and electromagneticamplification. This is achieved by adding three levels of support thatwork as follows:

The first level of reinforcement is achieved by adding high temperaturesilicone or other material of the same mechanical properties to asuitable thickness proportional to the threat below the outer solidpassive shield plate and improves the strength of the shield as follows:Anti-tank missiles due to high kinetic energy and their high specificweight penetrate any solid alloy armor they encounter. High temperaturesilicone during perforation from the antitank missile, due to itsmechanical properties absorbed a portion of the thermal energy of themissile and as the high temperature silicon melt by the development ofhigh temperature clings in the missile head and absorbed. At the sametime, due to the momentum of the missile and the hot gas cone thatfollows, the pressure exerted by the ferromagnetic grains of the shieldincreases, as the high temperature molten silicone diffuses betweenthem. The diffusion of high temperature molten silicone between theferromagnetic grains insulates the armor from the hot gas cone thatfollows the missiles. The physical processes that occur in theseprocesses are part of the theoretical framework of the non-linearturbulent flow of energy and causing phenomena of abnormal diffusion,intermittent turbulence, multifractality and strange chaotic attractorsin the phase space of the system.

The second level concerns the distribution of ferromagnetic powdercontained in pellets or cubes or rectangular parallelepipeds or otherbasic geometric volumes of polymeric material with viscoelasticity orother material with the same mechanical properties with thin-walled oralternatively its placement in spatial network with cubic or conical orspherical partition volumes with thin walls made from polymeric materialwith viscoelasticity or other material with the same mechanicalproperties and then compressed between the plates of solid passiveshielding. The strengthen of the armor by applying this level isachieved, because when the compact outer plate perforated by an antitankprojectile and then be perforation without penetrating the next layer,it is likely to be created an outlet hole for the compressed powder andfrom this due to vibrations from the movement of the vehicle can lead toits decompression. With the aforementioned distribution of powder inproportional elementary volumes and the use of spatial network, anydecompression that occurs will be limited locally without affecting theoperation of the whole armor.

The third level of reinforcement is achieved by placing a layer ofexplosive on the visible side relative to the ferromagnetic powder ofthe inner passive solid shielding plate in combination with percussion,perforation and temperature sensors. The layer of the explosive may bein a single layer or contained as a base on the inner surface of theinterior of each separate space of the spatial network or similarly as abase on the inner surface of every each cube or rectangle or other basicgeometric volumes. The explosive is activated when the data received bythe system indicate a certain perforation. In this case the explosivearmor activated deconstructing the armor plate with the powder cloud tobe an advantage since it is difficult to injure the staff located in thenearby environment of the tank as generates less scrap, whiledeconstructs the kinetic energy projectile or the thermal arrow in thecase of HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) missiles. In the case which thelayer of explosive is the basis of the contact with the spatial networkhaving the corresponding pattern of incisions, the explosion is limitedto the parts that are perforated by the projectile.

The shield system with the silicone layer and the distributedferromagnetic powder applied and in antiballistic plates of bulletproofjackets of personnel.

The addition of the three levels of the invention as represented in(FIG. 1 ) up to (FIG. 5 ) of example and schematically. The figuresshow:

In (FIG. 1 ), we show a cross-sectional larger incision of the modifiedsystem of the levels of dynamic armor of the tank.

In (FIG. 2 ), we show a cross-sectional three-dimensional largerincision of the modified system of the levels of dynamic armor of thetank.

In (FIG. 3 ), we show a cross sectional three-dimensional incision ofthe modified system of the levels of dynamic armor of the tank byremoval of all the parts where is shown in detail the package of theferromagnetic powder using cubic or spatial network.

In (FIG. 4 ), we show a cross-sectional three-dimensional largerincision of the modified system of the levels of dynamic armor whereinthe layer of explosive material has been replaced by high-temperaturesilicone layer.

In (FIG. 5 ), we show indicatively the unitary geometricalthree-dimensional shapes that can be used for the distribution of theferromagnetic powder or the lattice construction.

In (FIG. 1 ) we present the modified structure of the dynamic armor ofthe tank or the combat vehicle in zoom-in cross-sectional view. Thefollowing modifications are included between the solid outer armorplates (FIGS. 1, 1 ), the inner armor plates (FIGS. 1, 5 ) and theelectromagnetic coils (FIGS. 1, 7 ).: The first level of modification(FIG. 1, 2 ) includes a layer of high temperature silicone or othermaterial of the same mechanical properties. The second level ofmodification (FIGS. 1, 3 ) includes the distribution of ferromagneticpowder contained in pellets or cubes or rectangular parallelepipeds ofpolymeric material with viscoelasticity or other material with the samemechanical properties with thin walls or their placement in lattice withcylindrical or conical or spherical distribution divided volumes withthin walls made from polymeric material with viscoelasticity or othermaterial with the same mechanical properties. The third level ofmodification (FIGS. 1, 4 ) includes a layer of explosive material on thevisible side relative to the ferromagnetic powder of the inner passivesolid shield plate in combination with percussion, perforation andtemperature sensors (FIGS. 1, 6 ). The layer of explosive may be in asingle layer or be the basis of contact with the spatial network.

In (FIG. 2 ) we present the modified structure of the dynamic shield ofthe tank or the combat vehicle in three-dimensional cross-section. Thelayers of dynamic armor (FIG. 2, 1 ), (FIG. 2, 2 ), (FIG. 2, 3 ), (FIG.2, 4 ), (FIG. 2, 5 ), following exactly the description and thenumbering of (FIG. 1 ).

In (FIG. 3 ) we present the modified structure of the dynamic armor ofthe tank or the combat vehicle in in three-dimensional cross-section,where the parts have moved away from each other. The layers of dynamicshielding (FIG. 3, 1 ), (FIG. 3, 2 ), (FIG. 3, 3 ), (FIG. 3, 4 ), (FIG.3, 5 ) and the sensors (FIG. 3, 6 ) following exactly the descriptionand the numbering of (FIG. 1 ). For the layer of ferromagnetic powder(FIG. 3, 3 ) we show for example, the distribution of powder in cubes orthe use of spatial network in cubes.

In (FIG. 4 ) we show the modified structure of the dynamic armor of thetank or the combat vehicle in three-dimensional cross-section. Thelayers of the dynamic armor are as follows: outer and inner solidshielding plate (FIG. 4, 1 ) and (FIG. 4, 5 ), high temperature siliconelayer (FIG. 4, 2 ), ferromagnetic powder layer (FIG. 4, 3 ), hightemperature silicone layer (FIG. 4, 2 b).

In (FIG. 5 ) we present indicatively the unitary geometricthree-dimensional shapes that can be used for the distribution of theferromagnetic powder or the construction of spatial network which are:cube (FIG. 5 , a), rectangular (FIG. 5 , b), cylinder (FIG. 5 , c),hexagonal prism (FIG. 5 , d), pyramid (FIG. 5 , e), sphere (FIG. 5 , g),triangular prism (FIG. 5 , h).

1. Additional three level system of dynamic armor of tanks and battle vehicles with the use of compressed ferromagnetic powder electromagnetically reinforced, characterized that are added at least one level, where the first level (FIG. 1, 2 ) concerns the placement of high temperature silicone or other material of the same mechanical properties at an appropriate thickness proportional to the threat, between the passive solid armor outer plate and the compressed ferromagnetic powder and the layer containing the ferromagnetic dust is modified (FIG. 1, 3 ) by the distribution of ferromagnetic powder contained in pellets or cubes or rectangular parallelepipeds or other basic geometric volumes, (FIG. 5 ) of polymer material having viscoelasticity or other material with the same mechanical properties with thin walls or alternatively its placement in a spatial network (FIG. 3, 3 ) with cubic or conical or spherical divided distribution volumes with thin walls made of polymeric material with viscoelasticity or other material having the same mechanical properties and subsequently compressing them between the solid passive shielding plates.
 2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized that it concerns as a third level (FIG. 1, 4 ) the placement of a layer of explosives on the visual side to the ferromagnetic powder of the inner passive solid shield plate (FIG. 1, 5 ) and the electromagnetic coils (FIGS. 1, 7 ) in combination with sensors (FIGS. 1, 6 ) of percussion, perforation and temperature.
 3. Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized that the layer of explosive may be in a single layer (FIG. 1, 4 ) or contained as a base on the inner surface of each separate space of the spatial network (FIG. 3, 4 ) or as based on the inner surface each separate cube or each rectangular parallelepiped.
 4. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized that it concerns as a third level the installation of a high temperature silicone layer (FIG. 4, 2 b).
 5. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized that the armor system is applicable and in antiballistic plates of bulletproof jackets of personnel.
 6. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized that the order of levels has the following set-up: the first layer consists of ferromagnetic powder, the second layer consists of high temperature silicone and the third layer consists of ferromagnetic powder.
 7. Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized that the armor system is also applicable to other armored constructions. 